snowblindrpg | [log] Two-and-a-Half Men ; DAY 76-79 [closed]

Quark.

[There's really nothing else that needs to be said; Clayton doesn't know what he's up to or why he's trying to lie about it, but he understands at least that the boy is panicking. This will not help anyone. Need to calm him down so he's coherent.]

[Clayton opens his eyes and glances over, brows raised but voice level, slow and patient.]

It's alright. You ain't in trouble an' I ain't mad. Take a deep breath.

You’re...you’re not?

[It’s a little reassuring. Not a lot reassuring, but...it causes him to stop, the panic to wane. He was expecting to be yelled at, his Grandpa probably would’ve yelled. Quark stares back at Clayton with his wide, nervous eyes, but he takes a deep breath, and this seems to help him. A measure, if nothing else.]

I’m...sorry. I’m sorry.

[When the bottle hits the floor, Enoch works on half-dreaming reflex, his hand shooting out of his cloak-and-blanket pile to grab it. Who can say what he thought of the noise? He likely didn't think at all.]

Hm...? [He drags the bottle over to himself and pushes himself upright as the...whatever is going on plays out nearby. Rubbing the sleep out of an eye, he scoots over to set the bottle next to the box.]

What's the matter?

[Clayton's slowly trying to work himself upright as well, very gently propping himself on the elbow of his good arm so he can get a look at the damage. He sees and recognizes the bottle of aspirin abandoned by his arm, recognizes the thick rattle of the potassium iodide tablets, notices that his lunchbox is open. The thought that Quark could be stealing medicine for someone else completely escapes him. Surely something is wrong with Quark and he's just too anxious to make anyone worried about it--that sounds more like him.]

It's okay. [The groggy rumble to Clayton's voice is almost gone by now, but Enoch's just starting to get up. He scoots a little out of the way to clear some room on the bed and leaves the evidence untouched, for Enoch's silent judgement.] C'mon, take a seat. We can talk about this. You know Enoch 'n I'll listen.

[And it's the silent judgment that's the worst part. Actually, it's almost worse that Clayton isn't yelling at him. At least if he was getting yelled at, he could feel a bit sorry for himself. But when Clayton's being so...nice, he just feels worse.

Quark hangs his head, unable to look at either of them, and trying really, really hard not to look at the medicine bottles on the floor. He supposes he could still lie...but he really doesn't want to, even if it is for Mr. House.]

Okay...

[And yet, despite his agreement, he's clearly reluctant to open his mouth. He just looks at his hands as he sits down more comfortably.]

[Enoch drags himself onto the bed, sitting on Quark's other side. (he should really start sharing it again; he'd largely vacated it to give Clayton and Ginger some space to themselves, and with Ginger off on her own investigation...well, he's a creature of habit, what can he say?)

As for Quark, Enoch doesn't really suspect much of anything. Thinks he wanted some medicine for his group, maybe, but either it was embarrassing or he didn't want to disturb Clayton.

Though, now that he's been invited to speak, what is he hesitating about? Pulling out his tablet to light the contents of the box by, he leans over to inspect the bottles under the ones Quark has pulled out.]

Is something wrong, Quark? Did someone ask you for something embarrassing? Or...were you looking for that medicine Clayton and I talked about before, perhaps? You can tell us the truth...

[People can be proud...maybe someone wanted those mood stabilizers Clayton talked about but didn't want everyone knowing about it. Or worrying about them. Maybe Quark heard about them in that very conversation and decided he wanted to try it despite being so small?

Small mercies for Clayton, Enoch hasn't looked back down at the bottle his tablet has illuminated, watching Quark's posture in the dark for the moment.]

[Small mercies there, but other things are starting to claw at Clayton now that Enoch's brought them up. Did he overhear their conversation about the antidepressants? The citalopram is in its bottle, undisturbed, but that might just be because Quark didn't find it in time. Clayton's heart sinks; if that is the issue, and he has to tell the poor boy that he's too young to have any without vigilant supervision for his mood, he's not sure he could bear the pain of seeing Quark's disappointment.]

[They're going to be in for a fun surprise soon.]

It's alright, bud. [Says the man that looks like he's now in significant pain for completely internal reasons. Very convincing.] We'll do whatever we can t' help, whatever it is. What's ailin' ya?

[They're both so helpful and nice, it makes it that much harder to admit what he was planning on doing. He feels like the worst kind of person. He shouldn't have listened to House--well, he still would've volunteered to go get the pills, but he should've done what he would've initially figured to do: ask nicely. Now, it's just going to sound so bad. Quark hangs his head even further, feeling smaller than never between the two large bodies on either side of him. Kind of like he's a fugitive.

But he has to speak. There's no getting out of it, and he's not going to lie. He can still tell the truth, and maybe...maybe they'll understand. They're already being understanding, right?]

No...it's nothing like that. I wasn't doing this for myself. [Another hesitation. He has to force it out.] Mr. House asked me if I could come get his prescription back for him.

[And now that he came out with it, he looks up from Enoch to Clayton, his face twisted in earnest regret and guilt. His words come out much faster, now.]

I would've just asked--I should've just asked for them, I'm really sorry! But he said...he said you'd just say no, so it would be better if I took them without letting you know.

[It's like stream of consciousness, it all just spills out.]

I was going to switch them with a bottle of aspirin. I've never, ever stolen anything before, I swear, and the more I thought about it the more I didn't want to do it, but he needs his medicine and I just wanted to help...

[And then all he can do is whimper more apologies as his eyes fill with tears, because it's getting harder and harder not to cry the more he speaks and the more terrible he feels about his choices.]

...What? [Enoch looks down at the medicine beneath the glow of his tablet now, and reaches down to pick up the prescription bottle.

That's House's name. It's exactly like the bottle he'd seen Dio pick up. If he had all the larger pieces already everything would click into place here and now, but he doesn't know the medicine House takes is a painkiller.

He curls his fingers around the bottle, looking between the other two in concerned confusion. What in the world was Clayton doing with House's medicine under such conditions House would send Quark to get them back? These couldn't have been volunteered, and he vaguely remembers, in the almost fevered haze of trying to fight off another breakdown over the sensory deprivation he'd faced, something happening and Clayton telling Angel to go get House's medicine for him...it may have sounded friendly from what he could catch, but if he wanted to return these to House he would have sent someone to do so, right?

He reaches over to rest a hand on Quark's head (or hat, rather), trying to comfort him.]

It's all right, Quark. House is a very cynical man, and I can imagine he would assume the worst. But... [He looks up at Clayton.] What are these doing here in the first place?

[Shiro is not normally a heavy sleeper, but having a nice hot shower and being able to actually rest after being on-edge for several days does wonders to a guy's ability to sleep. So, he doesn't actually wake up until after Quark has been caught, and he is snapping to consciousness just in time to hear 'I should have asked for them, I'm sorry!'

Recognizing the voice, Shiro gets up and moves over to where the group is, listening to Enoch before speaking up.]

That's what I'm wondering myself.

[EYEING CLAYTON HERE. Just what is going on that one grown man would send a small child after something that another grown man has?]

[Now Clayton is the picture of a very different man--it still looks like he's in pain, but it's the pain of intense, gnawing frustration, barely reined in by the patience Clayton usually shows at these sorts of things. It's frustration aimed at everyone at this point; at House for being so difficult and manipulating a child, at Steph for complicating things on her own, at Angel and Rhys for deliberately putting themselves in danger because they know he can't do anything about it, and at everyone in this shithole of a clinic for forcing him into a decision that will appease everyone involved. He hasn't had enough time to put it all together yet. There will never be enough time. He tries to stall for it, puts his face in his hand and massages his temples, but there's only so much he can do before the others decide for him.]

[So then the question is: Who does he want to set the best example for?]

[With a heavy exhale, Clayton turns to Quark.]

I don't blame you none fer tryin' t' help 'em, Quark. [He's working very hard to keep his voice level.] I would've given 'em to ya if you'd asked nicely. I'll be tellin' Greg that he'd 've gotten 'em back a lot quicker if he'd bothered t' ask me, too. Guess I put too much faith in 'em, thinkin' he'd come t' me--he's too paranoid, that ain't how he works. Ain't worth tryin' t' surprise 'em if he's gonna start teachin' you kids how t' handle problems like he does.

[For the moment, Enoch and Shiro's demands go unanswered. Clayton's too flustered to focus on so many things at once.]

[This is horrible. This is the worst thing that's ever happened to him. Ever! Ever! Or that's how it feels, anyway, when Shiro wakes up too, and Clayton suddenly looks way angrier than he did before. Well, he's trying to reign it in, but it doesn't matter because Quark can't stop himself from exaggerating it in his head and everyone's looking at him.

Quark bites his lip to try and still his sobbing as tears run down his cheeks, hanging his head to avoid Clayton's gaze--everyone's gaze, even though Enoch is being so understanding. At least, until Clayton says he's going to talk to House. His head snaps up to look at him again, eyes wide and almost panicked.]

What? You're...you're going to tell him? No! You can't! He'll...

[Quark isn't sure what he'll do, actually. But he reminds him of his Grandpa a lot in some ways (other than being old and grumpy): strict, critical, hard to please and not easy to find forgiveness in. Even though this was just a favor Quark was doing for him...he can't stop himself from assuming the worst.]

He'll be so mad at me!

[Enoch is silent through Clayton's explanation and Quark's reaction, trying to find something, anything that makes this make sense. He wanted to surprise him...so he hid the fact he had medicine he needed.

That doesn't add up. He's missing something. First, though, the hand on Quark's head moves to his shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze.]

Quark, it will be all right. Everything's fine.

[And he looks back up at Clayton, worried expression cast in the dim blue glow of any tablets present.]

I...I think he sent Quark because of his leg, Clayton. Why did you want him to ask for something that is already his?

One of us'll talk to him and explain things, you're not going to get into trouble.

[But then he looks to Clayton, because he can see that bullshit non-answer there. Don't try to dodge the question, that's suspicious. And he's glad that Enoch can see that too, it's easier to stay on target with someone else pushing the point too.]

And more importantly, if it's a prescription, why would you be withholding that? Generally prescriptions are for the person they're prescribed to, so there's no need to withhold them.

[Hearing 'messed up leg' and 'prescription' makes Shiro think it is probably painkillers, but he isn't going to just assume that. It could be something else, something vitally important to House's wellbeing.]

So, I'll ask again: Why do you have someone else's prescription here?

Edited 2016-01-30 03:29 (UTC)

--I ain't withholdin' 'em.

[It's a minor snap, but it definitely carries a sharpness uncharacteristic of Clayton's normally very patient tone. He rarely handles this kind of pressure well, especially from multiple people whose opinions he cares a great deal about. He doesn't want to disappoint them but he needs time to think, and there just isn't time, and--]

[Clayton squeezes his eyes shut and holds up his hand. Please. A moment to breathe, friends. He gives himself that moment, regardless of whether or not Enoch and Shiro want him to, and when he comes back his voice has returned to that very calm, very level tone from before.]

...I'm makin' good on our agreement. That's how it's always been.

[This is a lie. Thankfully it's an easy enough one to follow; the situation has escalated to such ridiculous levels that Clayton's pretty sure he doesn't want to play this game with House anymore.]

When Rhys was here, I asked Greg if I could have a couple a his meds-- [He turns to Shiro.] --Vicodin--t' help 'em breathe better, let 'em heal. 'Course he said no an' I don't blame 'em, so I backed off. Then ah...

[...Should he give out Angel's name? Perhaps not. Clayton doesn't really want to incriminate her or seem like he's shifting blame, even in the company of friends.]

...somebody overheard me askin' 'em. Took it up themselves t' send 'em my way, without tellin' Greg. I told 'em it weren't right, but the both of 'em were away--couldn't leave Rhys alone, an' he was in a bad way. Used a few pills while I had 'em. Greg an' I'd agreed that the only way I'd make a fair trade fer his meds is if I'd found more, so...t' pay 'em back, I sent Angel 'n Rhys t' the pharmacy, where they showed up last. I'm givin' 'em both bottles soon as they get back.

'Course... [The frustration creeps back into Clayton's expression, knitting his brows.] ...'Cause he don't trust nobody, he thinks I been plottin' 'gainst 'em this whole time. He won't talk t' me. He won't listen t' me. An' now he's sendin' folks over t' do what he ought t' do, which is jus' speak t' me like an adult an' take back what's his. Startin' t' think that's askin' too much a him.

[Quark's worry begins to turn prickly the more that Clayton speaks. He feels himself bubbling up, his face coloring in frustration. What is Clayton saying? This isn't what House told him! Well, it's pretty much the same story, but...but it's a lie, right? Making it sound like he was always going to give the medicine back?

Maybe if he was older, he'd stay quiet. But he's a child, so Quark can't stop himself from blurting out exactly what he thinks about that.]

That's not true! That's not what I was told at all!

[His tiny little fists are balled up in a way that suggests he's very, very earnest about this matter.]

Mr. House said that he already asked for them back and you said you were going to keep them for your own first aid kit even though Rhys didn't need them anymore! He asked me to come get them back for him because he already tried asking and you said no! He didn't think you were going to give them back no matter what.

That doesn't sound like Clayton at all, Quark...

[But it's strange that House would lie if he was already promised the return of his medicine. Something is still not adding up. Someone is lying.

...They have records. Almost perfect, almost infallible, totally objective records. There's no need to weigh hearsay against each other when they have these tablets!]

Did House show you this conversation where Clayton refused him, by any chance?

[He doesn't like the idea of Clayton being the one lying here, so he holds off on asking him the same of this agreement. It would be very...unbecoming, of a doctor especially, if he was intentionally keeping House's medication from him.

Not that it's stopping other parties present from doing that half for him...]

[log] Two-and-a-Half Men ; DAY 76-79 [closed]

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